Aeroplane



N. G. PAPPAS.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION HLED MAR 11. 192].

1,395,204, Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHL'E? I.

FIG. 5.

N G. PAPPAS.

AEROPLANE 1,395,204. APPUCAHON men MAR. 17, 192i. Patented Oct. 25,

N. G. PAPPAS.

AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED MAR 11, 1921.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

FATENT GFFICE.

NIGK G. PAIPPAS, 0F HANNA, WYOMING.

AEBOPLANE.

Application filed March 17, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, N101; G. PAPPAS, a citizen of Greece, residin at Hanna, in the county of Carbon and tate of Wyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in aeroplanes, particularly of that type embodying wing propellers, although the several detail features of the invention are capable of general application.

The primary object of the invention is to provide improved actuating means for the wing propeller which shall be efficient in operation as well as of simple construct on and of a durable nature.

A further object of the invention is to provide an aeroplane embodying oppositely extending pairs of planes, with improved means for simultaneously tilting the same upon horizontal axes extending transversely of the fuselage for effectively controlling the ascent or descent of the machine.

Further objects will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better under stood and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an aeroplane constructed in accordance with the present invention with a portion of the planes broken away,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view partly broken away,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the empennage taken upon line IVIV of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine shown in Fig. 1 and taken upon line V-V of Fig. 6, s

Fig. 6 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional VlBWl taken upon line VI-VlI of thereof,

Fig. 5,

lg. 7 is a transverse sectional view through the wing pro ellers and taken substantially upon line 1VII of Fig. 1,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Serial No. 453,056.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view artly broken away and taken upon line 111-- VIII of Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the planes upon line 1X--IX of Fig. 1,

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken upon line X-X of Fig. 9,

Fig. 11 is a plan v ew of a modified form of Uyving propeller which may be employed an Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken upon line XIIXII of Fig. 11.

Referring more in detail to the several views, the present invention contemplates improvement of that type of aeroplane which embodies a fuselage or body 5 having suitable launching or landing means including supporting wheels 6 mounted under the forward end of the fuselage 5 and provided with an empennage T at its rear end which includes a pair of horizontal rigidly mounted and spaced tail planes 8 between which is movable the vertically disposed rudder 9 which is swingingly mounted upon a vertical axis 10. The support for the u per tail plane 8 may be of any suitable orm, but preferably comprises upright rods 11 fixed to and extending upwardly from the rear portion of the fuselage 5 and braced by suit able guy wires 12 extending to the rear of the canopy or roof 13 of the fuselage. Any desired means may be rovided for swinging the rudder 9, but t e latter preferably consists of a flexible member 14 having one end attached to an arm 15 extending to one side of the hub portion 16 of the rudder 9, and extending downwardly through suitable openings 17 in the fuselage and under guide pulleys 18 to a point forwardly of the entrance o ening 19 which is usually provided for admitting the operator within the fuselage. The flexible member passes around a drum 20 at this latter point and then rearwardly through further igkpides 18 and another opening 17 in the selage where the other end of the flexible member is attached to another arm 21 extending to the other side ofandfrom the hub 16. The drum 20 is fixed upon a vertical shaft 22 suitably journaled in an upright position at the forward portion of the body 5, and this drum 20 is disposed near the floor of the body while a handle 23 is fixed to the shaft 22 adjacent its upper end so as to be within conwardly of the pivots 43.

venient reach of the operator for oscillating said shaft and correspondingly swinging the rudder 9 in the desired direction for effecting steering of the machine to the right or left in the usual manner.

The present machine is provided in the extreme forward end of the body 5 with a suitable supporting means'24 for the propelling motor 25 whose driven shaft 26 extends forwardly through the forward end of the body 5 and has a suitable rotary propeller 27 associated therewith for effecting forward propulsion of the machine. The shaft 26 also extends rearwardly a slight distance and has a bevel gear 28 fastened upon its rearwardlv extending portion, said bevel gear 28 meshing with another bevel gear 29 which is suitably secured upon a transversely disposed shaft 30 which is journaled in a horizontal position forwardly of the shaft 22. A sprocket wheel 31 is loosely mounted upon one end portion of the shaft 30 and is adapted to be clutched or unclutched from said shaft by means of asliding clutch member 32 which is movable by a horizontal hand lever 33 pivoted in a horizontal position upon the upper end of an upright 34 and extending rearwardly beneath the handle 23. A second transverse shaft 35 is journaled horizontally of the body 5 rearwardly of the shaft 22 and said shaft 35 is rotatably cared to the shaft 30 by means of a sproc et chain 36 which passes around the sprocket wheel 31 and also around another sprocket wheel 37 fixed upon the shaft 35 within the body 5. The shaft 35 extends through the side of the body and outwardly some distance beyond the latter where it has crank disks 38 fixedly secured upon the extreme end portions thereof, the crank disks 38 being operatively connected to the opposed wing propellers 40 by means of pitman rods 39 whlch are eccentrically pivoted on the disks 38 as at 41 and pivotally attached to the wings as at 42. The wing propellers are each shaped to conform broadly to the outline of a birds wing as shown clearly in plan in Fig. 1 and their in ner edges are pivotally mounted upon the body 5 as at 43 so that the wing propellers may swing vertically through the operation of the pitmen 39 for exerting a lifting force upon the aeroplane, it being noted that the pitmen will effect a flapping motion or oscillation to the wing propellers When the shaft 35 is rotated upon starting of the motor 25 and throwing in of the clutch 32. The action of the wings 40 and the upward movement of the same is greatly facilitated by the provision of compression sprin s 44 between the wing propellers and suitable abutments 45 which are rigid with the sides of the body 5 and which are disposed out- As shown, the wing or wing propellers 40 consist of a.

suitable frame covered with fabric or the like, and the same may take the form shown in F ig. 1 or the modified form shown in Figs. 11 and 12 wherein provision is made for lessening the air resistance to the upward movement of the wings and for automatically presenting a maximum surface to the air for propulsion purposes upon downward movement thereof. As shown in these figures, the above function is accomplished by constructing the wing of a main frame like portion 46 with a large central opening 47 normally closed by a panel 48 which is disposed beneath the frame portion 46 and hinged to the latter along one edge as at 49, the hinge 49 being of the spring type to normally hold the panel in closed position as shown in Fig. 5, and the spring of the hinge being of such strength as to permit opening of the panel upon upward movement of the wing in response to the force of the air resistance.

-A pair of superposed shafts 50 and 51 are journaled in a horizontal, position transversely through the body 5 between the shafts 22 and 30, and upon each end of the shafts 50and 51 at the opposite sides of the body is fixed a plane 52 so that a pair of spaced planes is provided at each side of the body and movable with the shafts 50 and 51 for varying the angle of said planes as indicated in I i 9 for directing the descent or ascent of t e machine as will be apparent. Means is provided for simultaneously rotating the shafts 50 and 51 in the same direction for tilting both of the planes of both pairs of planes in the same general direction and so as to maintain at all times the normal parallel relation of the planes of each pair, and the same includes a depending crank arm 53 upon the shaft 50 and an upwardly extending crank arm 54 upon the shaft 51 respectively connected by links 55 and 56 with the opposite ends of a bar or lever 57 which is mounted upon a horizontal axis adjacent the lever 33 and which is provided with a rearwardly extending operating handle 58 which is disposed in convenient reach of the operator. It will thus be seen that when a downward movement is given to the handle 58, a rearward pul-l is exerted upon the link 55 and a forward movement is imparted to the link 56 so as to rotate shafts 50 and 51 for tilting the planes 52 downwardly,

ner and forward movement is imparted to the aeroplane through the operation of the propeller 27, and when the latter has attained a desired speed, the planes 52 are tilted upwardly and the clutch 32 is thrown in for causing driving of the shaft 35 and through the connection of the latter with the props ler wings 40, the latter are rapidly reciprocated and the propeller 27 is thereby assisted in the lifting and the repulsion of the machine. By swinging the handle or lever 23 in the desired direction, the rudder 9 may be swung to steer the aeroplane to the ri ht or left as occasion may require.

mm the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readil understood and appreciated by those skil ed in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

In an aeroplane, a air of superposed hor1- zontal shafts, a fuse age having said shafts horizontally journaled therethrough, planes fixed upon the ends of said shafts at op 0- site sides of said fuselage means opera is from within the fuselage or simultaneouly rotating said shafts in t e same direction for tilting said plane, said means for simultaneously rotating the shafts including oppositely extending crank arms fixed to said shafts, a vertical lever having its intermediate portion pivoted upon a horizontal axis,

a link connecting each end of said lever with one of said crank arms, and means to rock said lever. v In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICK G. PAPPAS. Witnesses:

B. PELEOHOWICZ, T. K. BRYANT. 

